City of Philadelphia Municipal Piers 3, 5, 9, and 11
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 1992 City of Philadelphia Municipal Piers 3, 5, 9, and 11: Documenting the Development of Philadelphia's Early Twentieth Century Port Cloantha Wade Copass University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Copass, Cloantha Wade, "City of Philadelphia Municipal Piers 3, 5, 9, and 11: Documenting the Development of Philadelphia's Early Twentieth Century Port" (1992). Theses (Historic Preservation). 258. http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/258 Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Copass, Cloantha Wade (1992). City of Philadelphia Municipal Piers 3, 5, 9, And 11: Documenting the Development of Philadelphia's Early Twentieth Century Port. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/258 For more information, please contact [email protected]. City of Philadelphia Municipal Piers 3, 5, 9, and 11: Documenting the Development of Philadelphia's Early Twentieth Century Port Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation Comments Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Copass, Cloantha Wade (1992). City of Philadelphia Municipal Piers 3, 5, 9, And 11: Documenting the Development of Philadelphia's Early Twentieth Century Port. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/258 ' ^"*4-'^' ii*A. '^SKk m*4 ^ mi? %' 1 t3. ' !.'!-v/,'!;f' ' 1 fi m UNIVERSITY^ PENNSYLVANIA. UBKARIES 1 CITY OF PHILADELPHIA MUNICIPAL PIERS 3, 5, 9, AND 1 DOCUMENTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHILADELPHL\'S EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY PORT Cloantha Wade Copass A THESIS in The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation Presented to the faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE 1992 Ufi JQu^OMyl^^^ - ^dLCo^ Dr. Christa Wilmanns-Wells, Lecturer in Historic Preservation, Advisor : David G. De Lona/Professor of Architecture, Graduate-eroup Chairman and Reader FINti Al iT3 7v,^/^i//fr-, , ,/ UNIVERSm \ OP I PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARIES Copyright 1992 by Cloantha Wade Copass. All rights reserved. 11 Table of Contents List OF Figures iii List OF Plates iv ACKNOWLEEXjEMENTS V Introduction l CHAPTER ONE: Pre-Twentieth Century Port Development 4 CHAPTERTwo: Pier U: The Race Street Pier 23 CHAPTER THREE: Pier 9: The Cherry Street Pier 42 CHAPTER Four: Managing the Modem Port 52 Chapter FIVE Piers 3 and 5: The Girard Group Piers 63 CHAPTER SIX: Continuity and Change at the Philadelphia Waterfront 75 Conclusions 82 Figures 85 Plates 104 bibuography 115 111 Acknowledgments The encouragement and advice provided by my advisor, Dr. Christa Willmanns-Wells, were critical to the successful completion of this thesis. Her enthusiasm for this topic helped me contmue to make progress throughout the course of this year-long project. It was truly a privilege to work with a professor who is so dedicated to her smdents. Dr. David De Long's initial interest in the topic encouraged me to pursue it, and his helpful suggestions as reader were appreciated. Bill Alesker of Alesker, Reiff, and Dundon, Architects kindly provided access to materials in his firm's archives which documented the rehabilitation of Piers 3 and 5. Jeff Moak of the Philadelphia City Archives directed me to the numerous city records which proved critical to this project. My parents introduced me to Seattle's waterfront, past and present. As I shifted my focus east to study the history of Philadelphia's port, I have benefited greatly from both their support and editorial assistance. Finally, thanks to Wally White for commuting. VI 11 1 1 1 List of Figures RGURE 1.1 The Blue Anchor Tavern 86 Figure 1.2 Warehouse at comer of Delaware Avenue and Race Street 86 RGURE 1 .3 Adam Ritters' map of the Delaware River Waterfront 87 FIGURE 1.4 Paul Beck's 1820 Plan for Delaware River Wharves 88 FIGURE 1.5 Philadelphians Skating on the Delaware River, 1856 89 RGURE 1.6 Pier 8 at Cherry Street circa 1880 89 RGURE 2. Delaware Avenue, North from Market Street, circa 1890 90 RGURE 2.2 Chestnut Street Pier, circa 1920 91 RGURE 2.3 Race Street Pier, 1914 91 RGLIRE2.4 Substructure of Race Street Pier, 1901 92 RGLrRE2.5 Race Street Pier, 1901 92 RGURE 2.6 Race Street Pier in A Plan for the City of Seattle, 191 93 RGURE 2.7 Race Street Pier in A Plan for the City of Seattle, 191 1 93 RGURE 2.8 Race Street Pier Pavilion, 1902 94 RGURE 2.9 Steeplechase Pier at Atlantic City 95 RGURE 2. 10 Fireboat "Edwin S. Stuart" at Race Street Pier, 1908 95 RGURE 2. 1 Mayor Moore at Reopening of Race Street Pier, 193 96 RGLIRE3.1 Delaware River Waterfront, 1914 97 RGLIRE 4. Diagram of cargo handling process 98 RGURE 4.2 Diagram of vessel loaded with general cargo 98 RGURE 4.3 Illustration of Burtoning method 99 RGURE 4.4 Burtoning system in use 99 RGURE 4.5 Hand truck and electric truck in use 100 RGURE 4.6 Pier interior loaded with cargo 101 RGURE 5.1 View of the Girard Group Piers, 1923 102 RGURE 5.2 Cross section of Southwark Pier 103 RGURE 5.3 Plan of Southwark Pier 103 IV List of Plates Plate l Race Street Pier, west facade 105 PLATE 2 Race Street Pier, south facade 105 Plate 3 Race Street Pier, comer column detail 106 PLATE 4 Race Street Pier, west facade, doorway detail 107 PLATE 5 Race Street Pier, west facade, cornice detail 108 Plate 6 Pier 9, west facade and connection to Pier 5 109 PLATE? Pier 9, north facade doors and monitor 109 Plate 8 Pier 9, west facade, left comer 110 F1ATE9 Pier 5, west facade Ill FlATElO Pier 3, south facade Ill PLATE 11 Pier 3, south facade, view of outshore tower 112 PLATE 12 Pier 3, south facade, detail of cargo masts 113 PLATE 13 Cargo shed north of Pier 5 114 PLATE 14 Former United Fruit Company Offices 114 V INTRODUCTION From the amval of the first European settlers onward, Philadelphia's Delaware River shoreline has witnessed a tremendous flow of goods and travellers. Histoncally, the waterfront functioned as the center of travel, trade, and commerce. Today, physical and visual barriers such as high chain link fences and Interstate 95 sever the waterfront's connection to center city. Consequently, one could easily forget that the central waterfront once served as Philadelphia's front door. Waterfront place names invoke the historic significance of the port. "Penn's Landing" recalls the founding of the city, and the very name of the "Port of History Museum" asserts the historical importance of the harbor. However, the dominant features of the contemporary waterfront, such as the promenades and parking lots of the Penn's Landing project and the retaining walls of Interstate 95, reveal no evidence of the colonial port. While the colonial waterfront remains only for archaeologists to explore, one can find physical evidence of more recent eras of port history. South of Penn's Landing, railroad tracks traverse short distances before disappearing under paving at the river's edge, forests of pilings appear under the surface of the river as a wave recedes, and long concrete platforms, overgrown with dense vegetation, jut into the river. More intact physical documents of the port's history remain immediately north of Penn's Landing. Between Market and Race Streets, four piers extend from Delaware Avenue into the river. Peeling paint, rusted metal, and crumbling concrete show the age of two of these piers. The other two piers feature newly cleaned and painted facades and fly banners offering luxury apartments and condominiums. However, the architectural style of these buildings, and the dates displayed on the front facades, indicate that these are older structures. This thesis studies the history of these four piers, which date to a twenty-five year period between 1898 and 1923. Because the written record of the port's history is fragmented, this thesis draws on information from a wide variety of primary materials such as maps, port publications, city records, and photographs to document the construction, function and use of these piers. This thesis examines the significance of the four piers within their particular technological, political, and economic contexts. Establishing a contextual framework for the construction of these piers was a key aspect of this study. Chapter One provides an overview of port development trends prior to the twentieth century, with an emphasis on the historical circumstances and factors which encouraged port development over time. Chapter Two documents the development and use of Pier 1 1 at Race Street from 1901 until the city substantially renovated it in 1931.1 ^Iso known as the "City Pleasure Pavilion," the Race Street Pier housed many uses, including recreation programs and a summer children's hospital. Chapter Three discusses the increasing role of municipal government in waterfront development and the construction of Pier 9 at the foot of Cherry Street during World War I as part of Philadelphia's contribution to the war effort. In recognition of the fact that the piers were part of a complex cargo handling system, a fourth chapter utilizes texts written in the early 1920s about the emerging *Pier 1 1 was known as Pier 10 until 1931, at which time it was renumbered Pier 1 1 to conform to a new numbering system which assigned all piers north of Market Street an odd number and all piers south of Market Street an even number.